Microsoft updates Windows Insider app for Windows Phone users

A short while ago an update for the Windows Insider App (formerly known as the Phone Insider App) for Windows Phone was released that brings the ability to run the mobile version of Windows 10, which was demoed last week by Microsoft during their big Windows 10 event, to some of the Windows Insider participants who own Windows Phones.

The app does not show up in any store searches via the web or on the phone but it can be viewed/downloaded from its Windows Insider app page.

It is expected that this technical preview will work very similarly to the current Preview for Developers on Windows Phone 8.1. Once you are signed up for the Windows Insiders program and subsequently install and activate this app then any new builds of Windows 10 for the phone will be made available for installation.

When you first run the app there is the obligatory opt in page for participating in the program with the appropriate warnings, etc.

The main difference I see in this uipdate is the addition of an option to sign in with your Microsoft Account. This is the account that Microsoft has used to sign up its more than 2.2 million Windows Insiders and likely the validation method that will be used to allow access to builds of Windows 10 on the phone. In the previous version of this app the only option was to sign in with a Domain account to validate eligibility for the preview.

I was able to sign in with my Microsoft Account without any errors but was notified there were no builds available. The app also has a link, that currently comes up to an empty page, that indicates there are certain hardware requirements but I guess we will have to wait and find out what those are.

During its Windows 10 event last week it was confirmed by Terry Myerson and Joe Belfiore that a technical preview for Windows Phones would be released in February "after the Seahawks win the Super Bowl" as Myerson put it.

Maybe Microsoft is getting the app update out there and ready so they can enjoy the weekend, the Super Bowl on Sunday and then walk into work on Monday morning and push the button to make it available for Insiders.